Los Angeles to Santa Ana: The Last Red Car Railway

Explore the fascinating history of Southern California's transportation evolution through a 13-minute documentary examining the Los Angeles to Santa Ana railway line. Delve into the story of the Pacific Electric Railway's "Red Cars" system, established by Henry Huntington in the early 1900s, which served as a crucial transportation artery connecting Los Angeles to Santa Ana. Learn how this once-thriving interurban rail network, which efficiently moved passengers and supported regional commerce, gradually declined with the rise of automobile culture and highway expansion. Discover the transformation from public transit to car dependency, marked by the line's closure in 1950, and understand how this shift continues to influence modern transportation planning in Los Angeles, including recent initiatives like Metrolink and the OC Streetcar that aim to revive rail transit in the region.